New Delhi, 24 June

On the 14th Passport Seva Divas, the Ministry of External Affairs has announced that a passport is not a document that establishes citizenship and is instead one that merely facilitates international travel.

This comes after earlier this year, the Supreme Court said that Aadhaar cards are not conclusive proof of citizenship either and is instead a document of identity, much like a voter ID card, which additionally allows one to exercise their franchise during polls.

Under India's citizenship laws, a person is an Indian by birth if born in the country on or after 26 January, 1950, but before 1 July, 1987, after which they can claim citizenship if either parent was a citizen. Those born on or after 3 December 2004 can claim citizenship by birth only if both parents are Indians, or one is Indian, and the other is not an illegal immigrant at the time of birth.

The announcement set off a storm of reactions on the social media platform X as users wondered what exactly a citizenship document is, if not an Indian passport, which is only issued to citizens of India.